


Christmas Cracker

by QuillMind



Series: December Ficarama 2017 [11]
Category: Fire Emblem Heroes
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Happy Ending, Marriage Proposal, Other, Reader-Insert, Romantic Fluff, christmas crackers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-14 23:06:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13018095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuillMind/pseuds/QuillMind
Summary: Alfonse knows that he wants you to stay with him forever.  With the arrival of the winter season, he sees an opportunity for the perfect way to ask you.





	Christmas Cracker

**Author's Note:**

> Alfonse strikes me as a needy, possessive sort of guy in relationships. If he were in love with the Summoner, he'd probably be going out of his mind wanting to secure an assurance that they'd never leave him and go back to their world. :p
> 
> I loved Christmas crackers as a kid, and was shocked when I discovered much later that they were barely known in the States. :o

The right tools for the right job.  This was common sense, of course, but Alfonse knew it better than most.  In battle, a well-trained army could still be defeated by a less-experienced one if they had the superior weapons and equipment.  Mages and sorcerers, for all their power, did not fare well in the vanguard, and pegasus knights could be tragically felled from a skilled archer’s shot.  

Unsurprisingly, this had led to Alfonse becoming something of a stickler for details.  Because nothing was perfect, he strived to make everything at least as close to it as possible; the well-being of his armies, the counsel that he kept, the safety and health of his kingdom.  Despite him saying that getting too close to anyone was not a smart thing to do, it was obvious to all who knew him that no one cared about others more than he did.  

That attribute was never more pronounced than where you were concerned.  

As the otherworldly Summoner, the sole person ever known to be able to wield the Breidablik, from a tactical standpoint you were invaluable in their battle against the Emblian Empire.  But beyond simply summoning other warriors, you possessed another skill, some inexplicable ability to bring together people from many different places and convince them to fight with you for a common goal.  In very little time you proved yourself to be a capable strategist and commander.  

And in very little time, Alfonse realized he saw you as more than just that.  Though he denied it for a while, it was clear that whenever you two were apart, he was anxious and distracted, far more concerned about being reunited with you than tending to any injuries he may have had.  A laugh from you hit him hard like a haymaker (though in a much nicer way), the sight of another man getting your exclusive attention made his muscles twitch, and the slightest brushing of your fingers inspired a plethora of fiery scenes in his mind where the two of you were wrapped in each other’s arms.  

It got to the point where you had utterly consumed his mind, so finally, he’d gathered his courage one day and asked to speak to you in private, steeling himself for that sting of rejection.  And then when you’d gone wide-eyed and admitted that you felt the same for him, he was dumbstruck and petrified for a solid minute, having never considered the possibility that this was not a one-sided adoration.  

It was a little embarrassing now for him to look back on that night and recall how awkward and clumsy he’d been with you.  For all the time he devoted to training with his sword, he knew next to nothing about the art of romancing a woman, much less pleasing one.  But rather than be disappointed, you’d shown happiness, saying that you were relieved that they could discover each other together on an equal footing.  

And what a journey it was, continuing to this day.  One that Alfonse never wanted to end.  

Through Sharena and Anna he managed to gain information about some of your customs, in particular, the celebration called Christmas.  It had a lot of similarities to the Winter Feast that Askr held around the same time, with friends and family gathering together.  One tradition you mentioned being quite fond of, Sharena recalled, and when Alfonse was told what it was, he got an idea.  

On the night of Winter Feast, the great hall was filled with music and cheer, the air swirling with the scent of delicious food and spicy, sweet desserts.  Everyone was smiling and laughing, including yourself, looking stunning in a simple yet gorgeous gown that Sharena had lent you.  

Alfonse felt himself melt when he saw your face brighten at the Christmas-themed decorations, and looked on fondly while you excitedly explained to the other guests about the Nutcracker, the talking man made of snow, and the odd old man named ‘Santa Claus’ and his deer-drawn chariot.  Even as you admonished Gaius for munching on the popcorn garlands and candy canes, there seemed to be nothing that could diminish your elation at this moment.

“Are you enjoying the feast?” Alfonse asked as he walked up to you.  

“Oh, yes, Alfonse!  Everything’s beautiful, and there’s so much here that reminds me of home.”  

Normally he saw you so serious and focused in the heat of battle; such a stark contrast from now when you were giggling like a child.  

“There’s one more thing you have yet to see,” he said.  With a quick nod to Sharena, the doors were opened to let in a team of servants, each holding a large tray with colourful objects on top of them.  

Your mouth opened wide as you realized what they were.  “Christmas crackers!  How did you get those?”  

“Anna helped me,” Alfonse replied.  “I hope I got it right.  She told me that they usually have a crown, a trinket, and a line of prose inside.”  

The guests all jumped and shrieked as they pulled their crackers with one another, oohing and aahing upon discovering the little treats inside.  

“They can vary, but yes, that’s right,” you said, looking this way and that at everyone’s joyful expressions.  

“I have one for you.”  

“Me?”  You caught the weight in Alfonse’s voice and faced him.  He was smiling, but nervousness tinted his eyes as he held in front of you a Christmas cracker.  Unlike those given to the others, this one was a little larger and fashioned out of pearl-white coloured paper and gold trim.  It was clearly meant to resemble the Breidablik.  

“Will you pull it with me?”  

Nodding distractedly, you gripped one end of the cracker while Alfonse took the other.  

“One, two, three--!”  

 _BANG!_   

Louder than the rest, the cracker split open, releasing a flurry of sparkles.  The crowd stopped what they were doing, and all attention went to the two of you.  

Out of the glittery storm, you saw a small roll of parchment and something thin and shiny, and caught both just before they hit the floor.  A third object, a square box the size of a plum, landed in Alfonse’s palm.  

You became aware of your heart thumping fast in your chest.  Unfurling your fingers, you saw in your hand a delicate golden circlet with wings shaped out of agate.  Far more valuable than any tissue paper crown.  You recognized it immediately as a treasure belonging to the royal family of Askr.  After all, you saw the same motif regularly on Alfonse’s armour.  

Gasps arose from the crowd.  “It’s the Queen’s circlet!” someone cried out.  

Your eyes bugged out.  “The _Queen’s--?_ ”  Trembling, you begged Alfonse for an explanation with your eyes, but he simply gestured to the parchment in your other hand.  The scroll had a short message written on it in an elegant script which, again, you knew who it belonged to.  

_My beloved, as you so suddenly burst into my life, I felt this was the appropriate medium for what I am about to ask.  This circlet is passed down in the Askr royal family to be bestowed to the ruler’s consort._

Again you looked up at Alfonse, who was now smiling with immeasurable affection for you.

“As it turns out, I am a selfish and greedy man,” he said.  “Having you as our summoner and tactician, my comrade, friend, and lover is still not enough.  I don’t intend you overwork you, but--”  

Here he paused to open the small box.  A ring, bearing an iridescent cabochon jewel.  

“Can I have you as my wife as well?”  

A tense silence in the great hall.  Your vision blurred, and as your covered your mouth your hands became wet with tears.  

 _"Yes.”_   

Neither of you heard the deafening cheer that erupted from the crowd, nor did you notice the fragrant petals being thrown by the servants on the upper floor (a bonus detail arranged by Anna).  

All that was important was Alfonse’s warm hands holding yours as he slipped the ring onto your finger, the giddy swell of elation (and, if he was being totally honest, a proud sense of possession) he felt upon seeing the circlet nestled on your head, and the certainty shared between the two of you that you would never be parted ever again.  

**Author's Note:**

> Did someone call Alison Brie, 'cause we got an overload of cheeeeeese! ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿
> 
> Charcuterie boards and Christmas crackers can be found at [Tumblr!](https://quillmind.tumblr.com/)


End file.
